So I think I'm about ready to make a proper base (Efficiency IV, Unbreaking III, and Prot IV, Unbreaking III, on everything, haven't killed the Ender Dragon yet though). In this world I think I'll try a fully underground base. Having a huge, complex, base deep underground seems appealing to me, so I'll give it a shot. I'm not very good at interior or exterior design, but I guess interior is easier. So how do I build the entrance to it? I'm planning on having the main floors at level 35, seems like a good level (tell me a different level if there's a better one). I'm not sure what biome to build it in though.. Maybe I'll completely grass out a mushroom biome and build it under that. Not sure. I'm not really sure how to make an entrance that will be efficient and look cool. What do you underground-base experts do most of the time? Just stick a huge ladder into the side of a mountain or make a huge staircase? I don't really want to do those two, because it would take alot of resources and would go too far horizontally, and it would look ugly and be bad, respectively. Maybe I could make no entrance and just link up nether portals to get in? That might be cool but I don't know where to put the outside one. I don't really have a base at all right now.
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GENERATION 11: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment.
The basic problem with trying to answer this question is that "How do I build a great entrance?" run into the reality of "One man's gold is another man's garbage"...
I tried searching "minecraft base entrance" [w/o quotes] then clicking the "mountain side" button; as expected the base entrances among the images returned ran from "wow" to "ugh"…
Your best bet may well be to look through such a search for elements that inspire you...
If you build below level 40 (and are in a slime chunk), you either need to spawn proof your floors or be prepared for 'guests'
[Slime chunks are 1 in 10 so a huge base will likely intersect at least one. I've not tried it, but building in a Mooshroom biome should prevent this.]
If you build in Extreme Hills, be prepared to deal with silverfish while excavating. (And keep a Silk Tough pick handy for the Emerald Ore...)
Given that you don't yet have elytra, you may wish to build a ground access entrance and leave enough room above for a flying access entrance to be built at a later date…
If your main objection to a grand staircase is the horizontal run required, you could make it a 'spiral' or switchback or use a series of shorter stairs that lead through a series of rooms designed to impress...
You indicate you want "an entrance that will be efficient and look cool" which goals may be at odds with each other...
The most efficient way to travel down is a dropshaft with a waterbrake, the most efficient up is a ladder; but a 1x2 shaft with a ladder on one side hardly qualifies as "cool" [Perhaps you could build a grand impressive entrance… then tuck one of these out of sight for daily use....]
(N.B. See the first part for disclaimer.)
I think it would be very difficult to build something impressive without it being quite resource intensive (although the major resource expended may be the player time spent eg. if one creates an extensive garden using dirt, grass, logs, leaves, flowers, etc.)
Using nether portals for access won't dodge having an entrance you'll just have it in two parts; the Nether entrance portal and the Overworld receiving room.
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"Why does everything have to be so stoopid?" Harvey Pekar (from American Splendor)
WARNING: I have an extemely "grindy" playstyle; YMMV — if this doesn't seem fun to you, mine what you can from it & bin the rest.
Slightly off topic but for some reason chrome thinks minecraftforum.net is a deceptive site, it's really annoying, I have to click "visit this site" every time. It says it blocked "skinstealer.net" though. Don't click on that, I think it's a virus.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
GENERATION 11: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment.
Most of my bases are 75% underground, but i usually have a bit on the surface into which i build my entrances ...
One entrance I have seen for underground bases is a tree elevator, which i really like. There are various ones, here is one i've just watched. This one needs you to have a redstone torch on you when you want to enter, but a bit more searching should show ones that can by button operated or somesuch.
Just found a better way to ask, actually. Where do I start? I don't know what rooms to make or how to make them, what design to use and whatnot. I'm not very good at building at all, like with the block palettes and shapes and stuff. Once I start I guess I'll get into the flow and it'll work, but I'm afraid I'll mess up, plus I don't know where to build it. I guess Extreme Hills since it's underground? I've got an Extreme Hills biome picked out, next to my grassy mushroom island and a huge desert.
Extreme hills has two notable features: it is the only biome where one finds Emerald Ore, and it is the only biome where silverfish (ie. monster eggs) generate outside of strongholds. Silk Touch will let you harvest the former and avoid/negate the latter.
Something else to consider is how much of the mountain interior you are going to be hollowing out for rooms...
at some point it becomes more efficient to build the mountain around the space rather than carve the space out of the mountain.
[This also allows you to more easily customize the shape of your mountain.]
Using RL examples for what sort of rooms you'll want (and ignoring defensive structure which would generally be on the outside – and which is a topic of its own):
First there would be some sort of large courtyard to act as a receiving area; this would have at least two exits into the base – a grand one for the actual guests and another for the servants (also likely an exit for mounts, carriages and the baggage train).
The first indoor room would likely be some sort of large, grand reception hall where the guests would be further sorted by station. While there might be a direct entrance to the throne room (or equivalent) all but the most important would be shunted into various waiting rooms according to their status.
This parallelism in facilities would continue throughout extending to bed/baths (if present) / and dining facilities.
An important design consideration for MC bases is how much one wants decorative but nonfunctional rooms (a larder is certainly useful, but a dedicated kitchen is not).
Another point is that the spaces that in RL would be used for the servants access that was generally wrapped around and through the VIP rooms can be repurposed to hold the RS needed for any variable lighting, piston doors, and the like....
Era matters less than one might think, modern municiple architecture follows much the same pattern with city hall having a central lobby, various offices off it, etc. (And while a modern day mayoral office likely has a direct entrance; the average citizen will see that office only after being suitably conditioned to awe by waiting rooms and assistants offices.... )
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Why does everything have to be so stoopid?" Harvey Pekar (from American Splendor)
WARNING: I have an extemely "grindy" playstyle; YMMV — if this doesn't seem fun to you, mine what you can from it & bin the rest.
So I think I'm about ready to make a proper base (Efficiency IV, Unbreaking III, and Prot IV, Unbreaking III, on everything, haven't killed the Ender Dragon yet though). In this world I think I'll try a fully underground base. Having a huge, complex, base deep underground seems appealing to me, so I'll give it a shot. I'm not very good at interior or exterior design, but I guess interior is easier. So how do I build the entrance to it? I'm planning on having the main floors at level 35, seems like a good level (tell me a different level if there's a better one). I'm not sure what biome to build it in though.. Maybe I'll completely grass out a mushroom biome and build it under that. Not sure. I'm not really sure how to make an entrance that will be efficient and look cool. What do you underground-base experts do most of the time? Just stick a huge ladder into the side of a mountain or make a huge staircase? I don't really want to do those two, because it would take alot of resources and would go too far horizontally, and it would look ugly and be bad, respectively. Maybe I could make no entrance and just link up nether portals to get in? That might be cool but I don't know where to put the outside one. I don't really have a base at all right now.
GENERATION 11: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment.
The basic problem with trying to answer this question is that "How do I build a great entrance?" run into the reality of "One man's gold is another man's garbage"...
I tried searching "minecraft base entrance" [w/o quotes] then clicking the "mountain side" button; as expected the base entrances among the images returned ran from "wow" to "ugh"…
Your best bet may well be to look through such a search for elements that inspire you...
If you build below level 40 (and are in a slime chunk), you either need to spawn proof your floors or be prepared for 'guests'
[Slime chunks are 1 in 10 so a huge base will likely intersect at least one. I've not tried it, but building in a Mooshroom biome should prevent this.]
If you build in Extreme Hills, be prepared to deal with silverfish while excavating. (And keep a Silk Tough pick handy for the Emerald Ore...)
Given that you don't yet have elytra, you may wish to build a ground access entrance and leave enough room above for a flying access entrance to be built at a later date…
If your main objection to a grand staircase is the horizontal run required, you could make it a 'spiral' or switchback or use a series of shorter stairs that lead through a series of rooms designed to impress...
You indicate you want "an entrance that will be efficient and look cool" which goals may be at odds with each other...
The most efficient way to travel down is a dropshaft with a waterbrake, the most efficient up is a ladder; but a 1x2 shaft with a ladder on one side hardly qualifies as "cool" [Perhaps you could build a grand impressive entrance… then tuck one of these out of sight for daily use....]
(N.B. See the first part for disclaimer.)
I think it would be very difficult to build something impressive without it being quite resource intensive (although the major resource expended may be the player time spent eg. if one creates an extensive garden using dirt, grass, logs, leaves, flowers, etc.)
Using nether portals for access won't dodge having an entrance you'll just have it in two parts; the Nether entrance portal and the Overworld receiving room.
Slightly off topic but for some reason chrome thinks minecraftforum.net is a deceptive site, it's really annoying, I have to click "visit this site" every time. It says it blocked "skinstealer.net" though. Don't click on that, I think it's a virus.
GENERATION 11: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment.
Most of my bases are 75% underground, but i usually have a bit on the surface into which i build my entrances ...
One entrance I have seen for underground bases is a tree elevator, which i really like. There are various ones, here is one i've just watched. This one needs you to have a redstone torch on you when you want to enter, but a bit more searching should show ones that can by button operated or somesuch.
Mintutor now works in 1.13!
MrKite & Mc_Etlam ... I salute you!
I'll fight the Ender Dragon first so I can make Enderpearl Elevators in my base.
GENERATION 11: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment.
Just found a better way to ask, actually. Where do I start? I don't know what rooms to make or how to make them, what design to use and whatnot. I'm not very good at building at all, like with the block palettes and shapes and stuff. Once I start I guess I'll get into the flow and it'll work, but I'm afraid I'll mess up, plus I don't know where to build it. I guess Extreme Hills since it's underground? I've got an Extreme Hills biome picked out, next to my grassy mushroom island and a huge desert.
GENERATION 11: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment.
Extreme hills has two notable features: it is the only biome where one finds Emerald Ore, and it is the only biome where silverfish (ie. monster eggs) generate outside of strongholds. Silk Touch will let you harvest the former and avoid/negate the latter.
Something else to consider is how much of the mountain interior you are going to be hollowing out for rooms...
at some point it becomes more efficient to build the mountain around the space rather than carve the space out of the mountain.
[This also allows you to more easily customize the shape of your mountain.]
Using RL examples for what sort of rooms you'll want (and ignoring defensive structure which would generally be on the outside – and which is a topic of its own):
First there would be some sort of large courtyard to act as a receiving area; this would have at least two exits into the base – a grand one for the actual guests and another for the servants (also likely an exit for mounts, carriages and the baggage train).
The first indoor room would likely be some sort of large, grand reception hall where the guests would be further sorted by station. While there might be a direct entrance to the throne room (or equivalent) all but the most important would be shunted into various waiting rooms according to their status.
This parallelism in facilities would continue throughout extending to bed/baths (if present) / and dining facilities.
An important design consideration for MC bases is how much one wants decorative but nonfunctional rooms (a larder is certainly useful, but a dedicated kitchen is not).
Another point is that the spaces that in RL would be used for the servants access that was generally wrapped around and through the VIP rooms can be repurposed to hold the RS needed for any variable lighting, piston doors, and the like....
Era matters less than one might think, modern municiple architecture follows much the same pattern with city hall having a central lobby, various offices off it, etc. (And while a modern day mayoral office likely has a direct entrance; the average citizen will see that office only after being suitably conditioned to awe by waiting rooms and assistants offices.... )